Egg Trade.

The best way to learn about the egg trade, I decided, was to rejoin it and find out who runs things from the inside. ARFA got the clutch of ten eggs, plus the three extra that were thrown in when I was sold. I didn’t know I’d be worth the lives of three children, but I was. At least I’m getting three of the unborn out of this awful system.

I was given a new name as soon as I arrived: now I’m expected to answer to Rigel instead of Olo. There seems to be a “star” theme with everyone here. My picture was taken (for the catalogue) and I was marked with a spray painted logo on my hip. Blue Fly’s logo is put on every Poleepkwa under his control, in order to identify us and tell any other dealers in the area that we’re his property. At least the MNU tags are gone from those who had them—Blue Fly has told us over and over again that MNU can’t touch us, that we’ll be dead before they get their hands on us again. It sounds comforting before you realize what he means when he says this and how true it is.

I’m housed in a small building with many other Poleepkwa. People call a number or go straight to the building, pick us out of the catalogue, and we go with them to their houses. The phones were ringing off the hook the first night I started work; I don’t think I will ever listen to a telephone again and feel anything but indescribable revulsion. Knowing what you’ll have to do as soon as your name is called but not being able to change things…it’s horrible. You’re being sold and exploited and there’s nothing you can do, nothing you want to do because you know that there’s only a beating waiting if you try to escape or cheat someone out of their “good time.”

Once we’re at the house of whoever bought us we either work like dogs, lifting heavy objects and performing menial labor, or we work at satisfying the sick fantasies of whoever rented us. Whatever the customer (or “john”) tells us to do, we have to do it without question, or else we aren’t paid or beaten by the person. Oftentimes it’s both. Sometimes the Poleepkwa don’t come back, and nobody asks where they went. Most likely they were sold…I hope they were sold. That’s better then the alternatives. I’ve heard awful things about what people do to us on the streets…

So far I’ve learned the faces and stories of three of my fellow “rough trade;” the “newest” ones. Everyone else comes and goes so quickly that it’s almost impossible to learn their name or their past.

Generally the adults are tricked out of the safe house network with promises of finding loved ones, safer areas or work, while some are stolen right out of D-10 and sent to the US, Brazil and other countries. There are others here who lay eggs so Blue Fly can sell them, and they get cat food in return. None of them have done more then mutter at me not to take their sleeping-space, which consists of a small square of tarp for bedding and another bit of cloth to use as a covering. I’m the only one who was born a trade egg. The life expectancy isn’t very long here.

That’s all I’ve been able to learn thus far, as well as the fact that every person who was willing to talk about their past has only been in this system for a few months at the most. The ones that have been here for over a year are too traumatized, high on cat food or apathetic to listen to me or tell me anything besides their NAP: Name, Age, Price.

Cat food is abundant here; we are paid meagerly with it if we pull in enough customers. If we don’t make enough money we aren’t fed. I’ve been beaten twice for not following the rules and for “holding out;” Blue Fly uses a piece of taped metal pipe for this and makes the others watch. The second beating was much, much worse then the first…obviously I have to learn what to do and what not to do if I’m going to stay here and find out more about who’s running this. Blue Fly knows how to cause pain, and he makes sure we know it. Even now I’m scared of what he’d do if he found out I’m posting this. Everyone’s scared here...there’s nothing to trust but those telephone calls and what they mean.

Posts will have to be sporadic from now on—all of the things I had with me were pawned. I own nothing, not even my body, but that simply makes me like everyone else in here. Right now this post is being made on a customer’s computer; I promised him a few extra minutes of sex if I got some computer time in exchange. I know that you may be alarmed at what’s going on here, and to be frank you should be. This is happening in America, the “home of the free,” to Poleepkwa and humans alike. This SHOULD NOT happen to anyone, and it has to end, as soon as possible.

To Jake and everyone at the ARFA base. Please send Jack and Jill my love and, if possible, continue to read Romeo and Juliet with them from where we left off. (Jill should have the book with her.) If Jack paints his or Jill’s plating with paint, that’s normal. Just ask him to wash it off when he’s done and not make a mess, and remind him that some people may not appreciate being painted different colors. I hope they aren’t too rambunctious for Xenrop and the rest of you, and I thank you so much for taking them in while I’m away. Knowing that they’ll be well taken care of makes it a lot easier to rest when work is over for the night. I’ll be back with them as soon as I can…I love them so very much and I’m already missing them.

To Sherry, Ryan, Dayna, Seth, Christian, and Kris. This is redundant, but please be careful and watch yourselves. D10 has enough danger from MNU; having dealers and traders hanging around the area, waiting to swipe Poleepkwa away and buy eggs from people like Kurt, doesn’t really help things. Otherwise, I hope the schools are going great now that everyone’s aboveground and pray that nothing bad happens to you.

To everyone. I hope you’re doing well, and wish you a good night and the best of luck. Don’t worry about me—I’m fine. Please work towards ending the atrocities of MNU and these egg dealers; nobody should be bought, sold, abused or killed. However, don’t lose hope. People are inherently good, IMHO, and the actions of a few depraved individuals shouldn’t ruin your hopes for an entire species.
As soon as I can, I’ll get at a computer and keep you updated.